Earlier in the year, the US
Navy deployed its first combat-ready laser weapon system in the Persian
Gulf — and now, after some field testing, we have a glorious video of
the laser being used to blow up (unmanned) boats and drones. I’m happy
to report that laser weapons are as awesome as you may have hoped — even
if they don’t look quite like the beam weapons from Star Wars or Star Trek.
The
Navy’s Laser Weapon System (LaWS) was deployed to the Persian Gulf back
in April, on the USS Ponce — a fairly humdrum amphibious ship. The LaWS
had been extensively tested on land, but the Navy had to see if all of
the various systems would work while bobbing around at sea. As you can
see in the video below (which I strongly encourage you to watch), the
answer is a resounding “yes, LaWS works very well.”
The LaWS consists of a
30-kilowatt solid-state infrared laser, a Phalanx CIWS (close-in weapon
system) radar detection and tracking system, and a special computer
terminal that controls the LaWS. Somewhat amusingly, the main interface
with LaWS is a controller that looks a lot like an Xbox gamepad — but
more ruggedized and military-looking (pictured below). In the video, the
LaWS disables a small Scan Eagle-class UAV, detonates a
rocket-propelled grenade (RPG), and burns out the engine of a small
inflatable boat (RHIB). Following these successful tests, the US Navy
has given the commander of USS Ponce permission to use the laser weapon
in combat.
As far as the US Navy is
concerned, they see laser weaponry as a good way of taking out small
boats and planes that get uncomfortably close to its ships. Laser
weapons can be fired very quickly, and the cost per shot is very low (something like $1,
as opposed to thousands of dollars for a small missile). At 30
kilowatts (which is pretty weak for a laser), we’re not looking at a
weapon that will change the rules of engagement — but worry not, the
Office of Naval Research (ONR) is already looking at developing a
150-kilowatt laser system, for testing in 2016 or 2017. At that kind of
power output, you are then talking about a laser that can punch holes in
the hulls of other large ships, or explode someone’s head from a few
miles away.
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